or maybe he's jealous of the reputation of wenger with youngsters

Savz wrote:

Last gamble? Do people think before they post.

If so... lets say Jose fails badly Mirth, is that the end of United? What are you on about with Last Gamble.

In terms of their prestige, history and success, they're already in the wilderness. Mourinho is a manager they flirted with the idea of and rejected before. Now they have gone running to him as there are no other better options for them of a standing which they think can take them back to the big time. If he fails, it's going to be a big shock for them. 

I'd say the mark for them is top three.

If they don't get top three this season, they're going to unravel a bit further. So pretty much it comes down to whether they can get ahead of us, Chelsea or both, and any other challengers for the Champions League who pop up.

I'd say they are aiming for 1st. Jose sounded out his intent yesterday.

Mkhitaryan, Ibrahimovic, Bailly + Possibly Pogba?

Add Jose to the equation and I'd say 2nd place would be disappointing but at the same time not a complete failure. No CL distractions, even though they'd obviously like to be in it, and they start to look extremely daunting. For me anyway, maybe not for the rest of you.

I really doubt they are going to "unravel". Chelsea have finished outside the top 4 multiple times in the last 10 years and continue to challenge. Yanited finishing 7th two years ago wasn't even a big blow. Whether or not we like it, Yanited and Chelsea will continue to compete with us for the next 10 years. Liverpool's slide into today's mediocrity took pretty much that long. Milan's downfall has been quicker, but that's also been aided by their complete lack of money, which is not the case with Yanited.

You'd consider it unravelling a fair way if we started finishing 7th, 4th, 5th instead of 3rd, 4th, 3rd, 2nd or whatever.

That's why I used the term "unravelling" rather than "collapsing" or whatever, so I think we basically agree. They're on a historical slide at the moment. If they don't turn it around now, it is eventually going to start to bite in financial terms.

They finished out of the CL this season and are still set to be named #1 in the money league at the start of Jan.

Wow, well I guess that one lone point of data just proves history doesn't exist.

Thanks, Hegel, but you can go home now because Manchester United are top of the money league.

Point is, them going through this bad patch doesn't hurt them financially, which is what you said.

The proof is there for everyone to see.

Missed out on CL twice and are still financial juggernauts who generate income alongside titans such as Bayern, Real and Barca.

They would have to have a very very long period of domestic and european failure before they felt the impact. Which is just far fetched.

I said "it is eventually going to bite".

Having mastered the English language, I would claim that statement refers to a probable future state of affairs, rather than any present condition.

But since history, and indeed the passage of time are henceforth not to be reckoned with either through language or the laws of physics, I will take your advice and pop off to place a very large bet on Leicester winning the league—not that I now expect events will ever advance to the point that I can cash my docket.

Savz wrote:

I'd say they are aiming for 1st. Jose sounded out his intent yesterday.

Mkhitaryan, Ibrahimovic, Bailly + Possibly Pogba?

Add Jose to the equation and I'd say 2nd place would be disappointing

And you wonder why people call you a United supporter

Savz, you're so confident of United's impending triumph that you're almost getting me worried, at the same time as redoubling my hope you'll be brutally proven wrong by United having a disaster season.

Burnwinter wrote:

I said "it is eventually going to bite".

Having mastered the English language, I would claim that statement refers to a probable future state of affairs

You said:

"If they don't turn it around now, it is eventually going to start to bite in financial terms.

You made it out to be a dramatically now or never situation by saying the first sentence.

jones wrote:

Savz wrote:

I'd say they are aiming for 1st. Jose sounded out his intent yesterday.

Mkhitaryan, Ibrahimovic, Bailly + Possibly Pogba?

Add Jose to the equation and I'd say 2nd place would be disappointing

And you wonder why people call you a United supporter

I don't wonder. Been an Arsenal fan for over 20 years. I was in the stands when Bergkamp scored twice vs Nottingham Forest in 97. I've grown to become a fan of football and think of things logically. It's logical to think Jose's United will challenge for 1st place.

Burnwinter wrote:

Savz, you're so confident of United's impending triumph that you're almost getting me worried, at the same time as redoubling my hope you'll be brutally proven wrong by United having a disaster season.

At the last part: We'll see.

At the first part: Don't be worried about me.

I'm not worried about you, I'm worried United might not be as mediocre as I think they will be.

You think United will be mediocre?

I hope they are, but don't bet on it.

Baily or Mik doesn't worry me, something I would expect from non CL clubs, but Ibra is a worry. Hopefully he is too old to deal with PL defenders.

I would say Guardiola and Conte are more of a worry than Mourinho.

Zlatan and Mkhitaryan already makes Man U significantly better IMO, and then I also expect Martial to develop further. If Man U manage to sign a class CM to go along with that, I think they are likely to finish ahead of us. Moron is an utter shit, but when he comes to a club he initially gets his players to buy into his philosophy, and he gets his teams to play organized, effective football. We finished a measly 5 points ahead of them last season when they had a proper clown for a manager, and IMO they have done a lot more than we have so far this summer to improve.